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He was ridiculously attractive, and he was staring at me.

I stupidly looked over my shoulder to see if there was someone behind me before focusing again on the tall man before me.

“Adelaide?” he asked, voice clipped. I, once again, looked around. Nope, no other Adelaide’s were offering themselves up.

“Yes, and you are?”

He didn’t offer me a hand, and I didn’t offer him mine. We continued our stare-off, the air around us practically crackling with electricity. I refused to look away first.

“Fallon,” he answered. Again, briskly.

I raised an eyebrow.

“And that name is supposed to mean something to me because...?”

Before “Fallon” could speak, a figure ran through the doorway and threw himself at my feet. Mof hissed, but settled down when the newcomer didn’t come near his resting place on my lap.

“Don’t you dare do something like that again!” Ryder began, a flurry of emotions distorting his features before he finally settled on relieved. “You scared the shit out of me, Kitten. Why didn’t you call and tell us you were fine? Were you trying to give us a damn heart attack? Shit, you can’t do stuff like that-”

“Calm down, Ryder,” Fallon said gruffly. Ryder glared at the other guy.

“Fuck off, Sarge.”

Sarge. So this was the mysterious Sarge. The group leader. The guy capable of rescuing his team after a tornado trapped them underground.

What made him so impressive?

His cold eyes narrowed on me.

Oops. Must’ve spoken aloud.

Ryder let out a sound that was a cross between a chuckle and a sob. He looked as if he wanted to hug me but wasn’t sure where he could touch me with all the bandages. I probably resembled a mummy.

“Did you get ahold of the others?” Fallon asked, turning away from me to level his glare on Ryder. Unlike me, Ryder seemed unperturbed. Perhaps he was just used to it.

“I found Tam. He’s tracking down the others right now. I haven’t been able to talk to Calax yet.”

“Calax?” His name caused my heart to beat unevenly. “Why wouldn’t you be able to get ahold of him? Where is he?”

I wanted to talk to Calax more than I ever wanted to talk to anyone in my life. I didn’t understand these emotions, but I didn’t shy away from them. I wouldn’t - couldn’t - after everything that had happened. Death, and the consequential loneliness, changed my perspective on a lot of things.

“We’ll explain everything,” Ryder said. His hand reached forward as if he wanted to touch me, before he quickly dropped it back onto his lap. I hated seeing Ryder so tentative, so unsure. I grabbed his wrist and brought his hand to my face.

I didn’t understand his need to touch me, only that he did. A slight tremor went through his body, and his eyes shut. His thumb stroked my cheekbone.

“Come on. We need to get back,” said Fallon, eyes fixed on Ryder’s hand. An almost contemplative expression crossed his handsome features before it hardened yet again.

“Will you come back with us?” Ryder asked me. His eyes remained closed, but a tranquil smile made him look years younger. I liked this Ryder more than the other one, the cocky, flirty one. There was something real and vulnerable about him that had been absent in our previous interactions.

I hesitated as I considered Ryder’s request.

“Please.” His eyes snapped open. “Calax needs to see you with his own eyes. And Declan...please?”

It was the final please that did me in. I was a sucker for puppy dog eyes.

“Fine, but only if Mof can come too.”

He titled his head in confusion.

“Who the fuck is Mof...and when the fuck did you get a cat?”